THOUSAND OAKS – Josh Reynolds, a somewhat well-regarded high school receiver, took a recruiting trip to Oregon State in 2012, and hoped one day to replace the Beavers’ star receiver, Brandin Cooks.

It didn’t work out. Oregon State pulled Reynolds’ scholarship offer and he ended up at a junior college, while Cooks left school early and declared for the NFL. Now they’re both with the Rams, and after 18 months of fits and starts, Reynolds might finally be ready to take on a substantial role within the Rams’ offense.

He might even replace Cooks, at least in the short term, because Cooks and Cooper Kupp both sustained concussions in last Sunday’s victory over Seattle. Coach Sean McVay said he anticipates that Cooks and Kupp will be able to play Sunday at Denver, but if not, Reynolds is a comfortable backup option.

“I have the same approach I’ve been taking all year,” Reynolds said. “I’ve always got to be ready when my number is called. I hope those guys are ready to play, because we need everybody on deck.”

The preference is to stay with both Cooks and Kupp, though. Both players participated in Wednesday’s walk-through, before a main practice at Cal Lutheran. McVay said both players have been free of symptoms since Sunday, and if that continues, both players should be able to practice in a limited role Thursday.

Regardless, Reynolds opened some eyes against Seattle. The Rams started the third quarter without Cooks and Kupp, but on three consecutive plays, Reynolds had catches of 22 and 14 yards and a 10-yard run.

Reynolds has a different skill set than Cooks (a short speedster) and Kupp (a grinder in the slot). Reynolds, listed at 6-foot-3, has speed and can use his length to make catches over defensive backs. He likely would be a great target in the red zone, but the Rams’ receivers have been effective enough to limit his chances.

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“We’ve got such confidence in those (receivers), who have played so well, that his opportunities have been limited,” McVay said of Reynolds. “But to his credit, when his number was called this past week, he did a great job delivering. You never want to see guys get injured, but we feel like Josh is a starting-caliber player.”

Reynolds’ potential has been tantalizing since the Rams drafted him in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, but a training-camp quad injury slowed his development, and he primarily played a special-teams role last year.

This year, Reynolds had offseason shoulder surgery, then suffered an ankle injury in the Rams’ preseason opener and missed the rest of August. Reynolds was healthy for the start of the season but before the Seattle game, he had played only nine offensive snaps, out of a total of 267.

“He’s been great,” quarterback Jared Goff said of Reynolds. “He’s a guy we trust. When he has to go in at any time, we feel comfortable with him.”

REST UP

McVay described Wednesday as more of “a mental day” for the Rams, so more players than usual did not participate in practice. That included offensive linemen Rodger Saffold and Andrew Whitworth, running back Todd Gurley, defensive linemen Ndamukong Suh and Michael Brockers and linebacker Mark Barron.

Rich Hammond was a high school senior when the Rams left town in 1995, and now he's their beat writer for the Southern California News Group. A native of L.A., Rich broke in at the Daily Breeze as a college freshman and also has covered USC, the Kings, the Lakers and the Dodgers. He still loves sports and telling stories. Don't take the sarcastic tweets too seriously.